Strengthening Sustainable Tourism’s Role in Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience

Published by: IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. Copyright: © 2025 IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Cite as: Mandić, A., Beraldo Souza, T., Spenceley, A., Bricker, K., Eagles, P. F. J., Epler Wood, M., Green, R., Haggar, K., Hvenegaard, G., Lemieux, C. J., Leung, Y.-F., McCool, S. F., Muriithi, J. K., Ritchie, C., Rogers, P., Rushton, B., Sano, J., & Turner, D.  (2025). Strengthening sustainable tourism’s role in biodiversity conservation and community resilience, IUCN WCPA Issues Paper Series No. 07. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN WCPA. 6pp.

Tourism is at a crossroads—and the latest IUCN WCPA Issues Paper, developed in partnership with WTTC, GSTC, and WSHA, presents a bold, evidence-based vision for repositioning it as a driver of biodiversity conservation and community resilience. Titled Strengthening Sustainable Tourism’s Role in Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience, the paper argues that tourism must be leveraged as a core mechanism to meet global biodiversity targets and deliver local benefits. Grounded in international case studies and contributions from 18 global experts, it offers a roadmap for aligning tourism with ecological regeneration, equitable governance, and long-term sustainability.

The paper proposes three essential shifts: aligning tourism revenues with national biodiversity strategies, fostering resilience through community-based and nature-compatible livelihoods, and embedding co-governance structures that prioritize Indigenous and local voices. With a 12-point action agenda, it provides concrete tools for policymakers, conservation managers, and tourism actors to ensure that tourism contributes meaningfully to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the 30×30 target. Authored under the leadership of Dr Ante Mandić, Coordinator of Knowledge Development at the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group, this publication marks a critical step toward governing tourism as a regenerative force for nature and society.

Download the full IUCN WCPA Issues Paper No. 7 here:
Strengthening Sustainable Tourism’s Role in Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience (PDF)

issues-paper-no.-7-strengthening-sustainable-tourisms-role-in-biodiversity-conservation-and-community-resilienceDownload